Crossposted from West Virginia Blue.
In a desperate smear attack, disgraced former West Virginia Supreme Court justice and now Republican Congressional candidate Spike Maynard claims U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall has a terrorist tie because in 1996 Rahall received a $300 campaign contribution from Abdul Rahman al-Amoudi.
Maynard is really trying to play off the fact Rahall, a long-time Congressman, is of Lebanese descent. Maynard trails by 19 points in the latest polling.
What ties Rahall to a terrorist is the 1996 contribution from Abduraham al-Amoudi. Here's from Spike Maynard's press release sent to me by his campaign spokesman Matt Dabrowski:
Our Ad Is Factual and Easily Verifiable
Rahall's Record Associates Him With Terrorists
...
Nick Rahall has attacked Spike Maynard over Spike's friends and supporters. But who are Nick Rahall's supporters?
In 1996, Abdurahman Alamoudi donated to the Keep Nick Rahall In Congress Committee, and Rahall accepted the money. Alamoudi's donation
is listed on Page 4 of an FEC filing, available here: Link
In 2004, Abdurahman Alamoudi was convicted of three counts of terrorism financing after a U.S. Department of Justice investigation, and was sentenced to 23 years in prison. The Justice Department's statement, which contains extended information about Alamoudi, is available here:
Link
The record is clear: Nick Rahall took campaign money from man who later became a convicted terrorist. Prior to his conviction,
Abdurahman Alamoudi was a prominent activist on the issue of the Mideast peace process.
By Spike's very own reasoning, here are others whose record "associates" them "with terrorists."
In 2000, then Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush received a $1,000 contribution from al-Amoudi and the two men met.
Republican National Congressional Committee Chairman Thomas Reynolds. He served as RNCC Chairman in 2002 when al-Amoudi contributed $300 to the RNCC.
Americans for Tax Reform founder Grover Norquist. The Americans for Tax Reform received a $35,000 contribution from al-Amoudi in 1998.
...
As I wrote earlier, after al-Amoudi's was accused of illegal activities both Rahall and Bush got rid of his contributions. Bush returned the money and Rahall did one better by giving it as a donation to a Baptist church in Beckley doing missionary work.
Norquist's group and the NRCC has endorsed and contributed to Spike. As far as I can tell, neither group returned al-Amoudi's money so the only one who has benefited from al-Amoudi's contributions is Spike himself.
By Spike's own twisted reasoning since al-Amoudi's money passed through the NRCC and Americans for Tax Reform, Spike Maynard associates with those with terrorist ties.
I emailed Spike's PR person Matt Dabrowski and asked: "Are you returning the money from the NRCC?" I will let you know if I get a response.